Wise Coastal Practices for Sustainable Human Development Forum

The role of environmental journalists in wetland conservation / Tanzania

Posted By: Paul Siegel - responding to Louisette Gouverne and Michael Schweres
Date: Monday, 18 September 2000, at 2:24 p.m.

In response to: "Assessing the needs of environmental journalists" (http://csiwisepractices.org/?read=262) by Louisette Gouverne and Michael Schweres

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In Tanzania, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is currently working with the Journalists Environmental Association of Tanzania (JET) to help them to understand the importance of wetlands to the national economy. Our programme covers three wetland types - marshes, lakes, and coastal wetlands. Each habitat is the focus of an on-site expert lead seminar to provide scientific background including the threats and opportunities for conservation. Then a couple of days are spent in the field, interviewing a broad spectrum of stakeholders. The journalists (both print and broadcast) then prepare feature articles/broadcasts to get the word out to the public. The articles produced following the first workshop have helped initiate a national discussion on the future and value of wetlands across the country.

Given that information is essential for decision making and that journalists are the principal source of information for the broader civil society, helping journalists to appreciate and communicate the complexities of conservation should be one of our core activities.

Mr. Paul Siegel,
WWF Tanzania

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